Various Software Programs

Today was probably the most beneficial day for me thus far in this class. Everything we have discussed to this point has been things that I have known and used personally but not necessarily in my classroom. Today, all of the tools with the exception of Animoto were new and exciting for me.

I am exceptionally thrilled and excited about the uses of Jing in my class. With this program I can create a variety of videos instructing my kids on how to do things without me being with them 24/7. This will be beneficial in allowing me time to focus on one child's needs while another works independently with the assistance of Jing. This program was just phenomenal. After creating my captioned video I went back and recorded it with Jing so that I will always have the captioned video, regardless of whether it is pulled off the Internet.

When comparing Animoto and Slide, I personally prefer Animoto. I felt that it had more to offer and was user friendly. I am probably just biased as I had used Animoto previously. They both have potential in the classroom. The students could use these to create projects. They could create an "All About Me" project at the beginning of the year that tells the class about them. They could also use Animoto to create a variety of videos related to other projects in class.

Voice Thread was neat. I was able to take a few pictures that I had floating around of my kids and an activity we did on the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme two years ago. By using the pictures and voice input I was able to create a neat little video that my kids would enjoy watching of themselves, while also getting exposure to the nursery rhyme. Some other uses would be for the students to create a video with voice input on a project or something they have studied to share with the class. For a child that is shy, this would be a great way for them to work in peace at home and then share without the nervous aspect in front of class.

The video captioning tools were interesting. I thought it would be more difficult to caption a video than it was. I was pleasantly surprised. This will definitely be a beneficial tool for my kids as they get older. I see this tool as more of an auditory exercise in my class. It was great practice for me in using my cochlear implants. Practice is something we never quit doing. People with cochlear implants are always practicing to improve what they hear. This would be a great way for my students to practice entering what they hear, and then perfecting it to the best of their ability.

All of these tools were excellent, and I am really excited about using these in my classroom in the future.